The field of the present disclosure relates generally to fluid supply systems and, more specifically, to a system and method for use in relieving overpressure in a fluid supply system.
At least some known internal combustion engines generate heat during operation. More specifically, some known engines generate heat by compressing a flow of air, mixing the compressed air with fuel, and igniting the mixture to form a high energy gas stream. During engine shutdown, the generated heat flows to cooler sections of the engine, which is commonly referred to as heat soak-back. Heat soak-back can increase the temperature in the fuel manifold of the engine, which may result in the pressure within the manifold increasing. More specifically, the heat may be transferred to fluid in pressurized fluid supply lines leading to and/or from the manifold. The increase in temperature may cause the fluid to undesirably expand, flow into undesirable areas, and/or vaporize within the fluid lines.
At least some known engines use an accumulator to relieve the increased pressure in fluid lines caused by heat soak-back. Known accumulators relieve pressure caused by fluid expansion in the fluid lines by providing drainage for the fluid when the pressure reaches potentially harmful levels. Moreover, some known engines use a thermal relief valve that actuates above an operating pressure of a fluid supply system to relieve increased pressure in fluid lines. However, the actuating pressure of the thermal relief valve may be lower than the operating pressure of the system. It has also become increasingly important to reduce the weight of known vehicles that may be susceptible to heat soak-back. As such, it may be desirable to provide vehicles with integrated pressure relief systems that have a reduced weight and/or that are less costly than known alternatives.